Zachary and Allison

How We Met

Zack and I met my freshman year of college. He was a football player at Otterbein and I was a nursing student. We were friends but I had a boyfriend from high school and he was still an immature freshman boy haha. I ended up transferring schools my sophomore year three hours away never thinking I would hear from this friend again. My high school boyfriend and I broke up the beginning of my sophomore year and Zack Facebook messaged me shortly after. (Corny I know haha)I was NOT getting in another long distance relationship, but of course he had a different plan. We started texting a lot and went on our first date the Saturday after Thanksgiving when we were both home from college. After our date we started talking more and more and even visiting each other. What I thought would be a innocent friendship ended up a five year long on and off again relationship. After college I moved to Columbus to be with him but the timing was off, he was in school still and I was starting my career. We broke up for a year but remained friends. After being alone I realized I could never live life without him and convinced him to give us another chance. He graduated with his MBA from Otterbein and moved to Cleveland. That was over a year ago and now he is going to be my husband! I still pinch myself that this kind, passionate and loving man is going to be mine forever :)

How He Asked

A few months ago I was planning a trip with three of my best girlfriends from college. We live all over the country so every year we try to meet up in the spring. My one friend suggested that they come to visit me in Cleveland and I was ecstatic! We all decided on the date that would work best for us and set it for the first weekend in May. Little did I know my husband to be had already talked to the girls and told them when to come and what was happening. Kelly’s island is a favorite spot for Zack and I to go in the summer and since they have a fun derby party we had planned to go there on Saturday. Due to inclement weather on Friday the ferries weren’t running. I had started preparing for separate plans to make on Saturday in case they were not running again but Zack told me “if they are running we are going.” His dad had rented us a condo for the weekend so I didn’t want to let him down. So Saturday rolled around and I woke up at 5:30 to pouring rain outside. I checked the website and the ferries we running so I knew I had to hurry. Zack wanted to be on the 9:00 AM ferry and I live about an hour and a half away. I was so excited to get to the island that the early wake up call didn’t bother me. Later, I found out we had to catch the 9:00 ferry because all my family and friends were on the 10:00 and 11:00 ones. We got on the island about 9:30 and settled into our condo, visited his dad and our friends for a little before heading out for breakfast at a local bar. After breakfast we hit up a bar that serves our favorite drink- brandy alexanders- (If you’ve never had one your missing out!) and played some pool. Since we all were terrible it took us about in hour to finish one game! After the game my friends asked if we could all go take pictures on the dock out by the water. We’re always looking for a great photo spot when we are together so this was nothing new to me. We snapped a few of the four of us and then my friend Sara said, “Zack you go and get in one with her”. As a turned around to fix my hair, I turned back around to Zack down on one knee. I was in shock! I said yes, of course, and we all celebrated on the dock for a few minutes until deciding to go to another local bar for a drink. We walked in and to my amazement all of my best friends and family were there! We got to celebrate with everyone all day! It was by far the best day of my life and I am so excited to marry the man of my dreams.